APPENDIX II

Journal Publishing on Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Topics,
1964-June 2001

Prepared by Kristin Esterberg, Department of Sociology,
University of Massachusetts Lowell
for the ASA Committee on the Status of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgender Persons in Sociology

December 2001

The publication of full-length articles in major sociological journals provides a key marker of the strength of scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics. This report analyzes trends in LGBT journal publications from 1964 to June 2001. Specifically, this report:

• quantifies the number of articles on LGBT topics from 1964 to June 2001
• identifies the main topic areas of LGBT articles published during this period
• identifies trends in both the quantity of articles published and the major outlets for LGBT journal articles

Methodology

I searched Sociological Abstracts for all articles in major sociological journals that substantively focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics. All ASA-sponsored journals were included in the analysis, as well as all journals sponsored by the regional sociology associations and a few others. The following journals were included in the analysis:

ASA-sponsored Journals:


American Sociological Review
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Social Psychology Quarterly
Sociological Methodology
Sociological Practice Review
Sociological Theory
Sociology of Education
Teaching Sociology


Regional Journals :


The Sociological Quarterly
Sociological Perspectives
Sociological Forum


Other Major Journals :


Social Forces
Social Problems
Gender & Society

Articles included major research or theory articles, research notes, or any other material treated in a journal as an article. Reviews of single books were not included in this analysis, although lengthy review essays were (for example, David Segal’s 1999 review essay on books addressing diversity in the military). Film reviews, such as those included in Teaching Sociology, were also not included.

In order to be included in the analysis, articles needed a main focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender topics. Articles that focused on sexuality generally or on heterosexuality were not included, nor were articles on AIDS unless they also focused substantively on homosexuality or same-sex sexuality or communities. Articles on attitudes that included a single question about homosexuality (for example, liberalism or conservatism) were not included unless the main focus was on attitudes towards same-sex sexuality. Over the 36-1/2 years covered, 85 such articles were located.

Articles were coded by topic based on the categories developed by Robertson & Wharton to analyze papers with GLBT topics presented at annual ASA meetings. These topics include identity, gender, social movements, work, methods, HIV/AIDS, deviance, sexual behavior, health, military, sociolinguistics, theory, community, education, sports, attitudes, parenting, pedagogy/teaching, and culture. Two additional categories were added: urban and political.

Articles were placed in only one category, based on an assessment of the predominant theme. In a number of cases, assignment was clearly based on a judgment call (for example, an article on identity and social movements could legitimately have been coded under both); in these cases, an attempt was made to determine which of the focuses was dominant.

Time Trends in LGBT Article Publishing

The total number of journal articles concerning LGBT themes published in any given year is quite low, although the number has increased steadily since 1990 (see Figure 1, attached ).

The 1970s were a particularly sparse decade for LGBT publishing: only 7 articles were published in all outlets during the whole decade, compared with 15 articles for the 1980s and 6 for the years 1964 through 1969. In many years, no articles with LGBT themes were published at all. In comparison, the 1990s have shown a fairly dramatic increase, with 51 articles published over the decade. Although this is clearly an improvement, the total number of articles published in any given year remains relatively low (ranging from 2 to 9 articles) for the decade.

Much of the increase in LGBT publishing over the 1990s can be attributed to three journals: Social Problems, Sociological Quarterly, and Gender & Society. Indeed, 59% of all articles published during the 1990s appeared in these three outlets (30 of the 51 total). Prior to the 1990s, Social Problems was the only journal to have published more than 1 or 2 articles in any given decade, and this journal was responsible for nearly half (46%) of all LGBT-themed articles from the years 1964 through 1989.

The ASA-sponsored journals have a particularly poor track record with regard to LGBT publishing. Taken as a whole, the 8 ASA-sponsored journals that publish full-length articles have published only 32% (n=27) of the total LGBT-themed articles published from 1964 to June 2001. Yet the ASA-sponsored journals account for 8 of the 12 journals considered in this analysis, or 67%. Three of the ASA-sponsored journals have published no LGBT articles at all (Sociology of Education, Sociological Methodology, and Sociological Practice Review). This relatively poor showing may be accounted for, in part, by the particular missions and relative newness of the various ASA-sponsored journals. Sociological Methodology, for example, would hardly be expected to be a leader in LGBT publishing, and Sociological Practice Review has only been in existence for a few years. Still, it is notable that the flagship general sociological journal, ASR, has only published 3 LGBT-themed articles in the nearly 40 years analyzed here. Of the ASA journals, only the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and Sociological Theory have published relatively high numbers of LGBT articles (8 and 6 respectively). Yet even here, the numbers are not impressive. For example, of the 6 LGBT articles published in Sociological Theory from 1964 to June 2001, 5 were part of a special symposium. Sociological Theory has thus only published articles on LGBT topics in two separate issues.

Topics of LGBT Articles

Although LGBT articles focused on a variety of topics, they tended to cluster in a few main areas: identity (14 articles), social movements (10 articles), and theory (9 articles). Articles on HIV/AIDS were also relatively frequent (7 articles), as were those focusing on gender (6 articles) and teaching (6 articles). (See Table 1 for complete list of topics.)

I did not analyze changes in topics over time, so it is not possible to determine any trends. Still, it is notable that much of the publishing on LGBT identities occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, and almost all of the theory articles are relatively recent, concomitant with a rising interest in queer theory.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Although the number of full-length articles focusing on LGBT topics has increased fairly dramatically over the 1990s, the overall number of articles published in any given year and in any given outlet remains quite small.
• Three journals (Social Problems, Gender & Society, and Sociological Quarterly) account for the bulk of LGBT publishing.
• ASA-sponsored journals have published relatively little on LGBT topics.
• LGBT articles include a diverse set of topics; nonetheless, they tend to focus in a relatively narrow band of specialties, including identity, social movements, and theory.

Because this analysis only considers articles published and not articles submitted, we have no way of knowing whether the small number of articles published reflects a bias on the part of journal editors or a hesitancy of scholars to pursue research in this area. We also cannot determine how LGBT topics fare relative to other specialties within the discipline. Do scholars focusing on LGBT topics have a different rate of success (either higher or lower) than others? How do acceptance rates of LGBT articles vary across journals? These are important questions that cannot, unfortunately, be answered with these data.

The increased number of LGBT journal articles and outlets publishing them over the 1990s is certainly a sign that at least some scholars are finding success in placing journal articles. This increased publication may also signal a growing maturity of the scholarship on LGBT issues. These are hopeful signs for the field. Nonetheless, the relative lack of LGBT articles in ASA-sponsored journals is troubling. Further analysis of these publications and scholars’ experiences with them would be helpful in determining why the publication rates in these outlets are so low.

Figure 1. Total Number of LGBT Articles Published in Major Sociology Journals, 1964-2000

Table 1. Topics of LGBT Journal Articles, 1963-June 2001